Coca-Cola priced at €2.17 in Spain's Mercadona: price breakdown

Coca-Cola at €2.17 in Mercadona: a breakdown of the price

A two-litre bottle of Coca-Cola for 2.17 euros. The figure, shared as a complaint in a consumer forum, triggered a storm of responses that actually addressed other issues: the tax on sugary drinks, the price gap between brands and private labels, and how soft drink prices act as a thermometer for household economies. The discussion began by comparing prices between a local shop run by Pakistani merchants—where it cost 1.80 euros and was chilled—and a major retail chain, where the same product cost 2.17 euros and was not cold. The author's conclusion was simple: something doesn't add up when a large chain charges more than a small local business.

The real price: €1.80 according to the official app

The first data-driven response came from a participant who had the Mercadona app installed, mainly to compare prices, and claimed the two-litre bottle was actually 1.80 euros, while a two-pack cost 3.44 euros—meaning 1.72 per unit. This participant added a relevant detail: Mercadona prices are national and do not vary between stores, as confirmed by a friend working at the company's headquarters in Valencia. With this information, the accusation that the supermarket was applying an arbitrary markup was cast aside, shifting the focus elsewhere: to the tax.

Why has Coca-Cola gone up? The sugary drink tax

Several participants agreed that the tax on sugary and sweetened drinks is the main reason for the price hike. One message put it bluntly: much of this increase is due to the new tax. Another participant provided an estimate: a can of Coca-Cola Zero would already cost 0.75 euros due to taxes, which would bring the price per litre of Coca-Cola close to two euros. The reflection accompanying this data was broader: if taxes were removed, the price wouldn't even reach half. The discussion then turned toward the brand's own strategy. Does it make sense for a Coca-Cola to cost two euros when people are tightening their belts? One participant framed it as a commercial error: people are struggling, and at that price, consumers switch to private labels.

Private label vs. brand: the supermarket blind taste test

The price comparison between Coca-Cola and generic colas was one of the most repeated themes. Figures ranged from 0.49 euros for two litres of a private label cola to 0.60 euros for a 1.5-litre bottle, with many participants citing 0.50 euros as the usual price for a two-litre generic cola. The most common conclusion was that the taste is practically identical. One participant summarized it with a formula that appeared in several replies: anyone paying two euros for a Coca-Cola when a generic one is available for 50 cents is primarily paying for the brand. The discussion also included a practical dimension: Coca-Cola, one participant noted, works just as well for unclogging a pipe as any specific cleaner, and it's cheaper.

Recognized addiction: sugar, sweeteners, and aspartame

One of the most interesting turns in the conversation came when several participants admitted their own dependency on the product. I love it, I'm addicted, one wrote. Another admitted to trying to quit after discovering the sugar content, only to switch to the Zero version and conclude that sweeteners are probably worse. The idea that the formula is designed to be addictive appeared in several messages, with one participant attributing it directly to the fact that they put drugs in it to hook people. Aspartame was mentioned as a concern by at least two participants, one of whom openly wondered if the sugar-free version might be worse than the original.

The supermarket as a social battlefield

Beyond the price, the discussion shifted toward the treatment received in the store. One participant described an argument with an employee at the start of the pandemic that led to a formal complaint and the decision never to shop at that chain again. Another criticized the cashier for barely making eye contact. A third person ironized about the staff composition: it's curious that there are no elderly people working in that supermarket, which in their view suggests they are phased out after a certain age. The conversation also touched on the presence of people begging at the store entrance, with views ranging from discomfort to analyses of the shadow economy, never reaching a consensus.

Brand strategy: fridges, bars, and displaced competition

The final part of the discussion focused on how Coca-Cola maintains its dominant position. One participant recalled that the company was for years the most profitable company in the world, with margins around 50%, attributing this to two practices: pushing competitors off the shelves and subsidizing bars with fridges and furniture so they only buy from their bottler. Another participant countered this: it is Pepsi that gives away fridges, and many bars only carry Pepsi. The discrepancy remained unresolved, much like almost everything discussed when the price of a soft drink becomes a matter of economic policy.

Ultimately, the question hanging over the entire conversation is not how much a Coca-Cola costs, but how much of that price is tax, how much is brand, and how much is habit. And whether consumers are willing to keep paying it.